Asphodel
by Aondeug
Summary: Mami wakes up in a field of flowers with a strange girl she doesn't know. Why does this girl seem familiar to Mami? Mami/Charlotte.
1. Chapter 1

All right then. So I have written something else. And stuff. Whereas my last piece was primarily Buddhist in inspiration this one is primarily Greek. I do hope you enjoy it and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Ritual Disclaimer: I don't own shit. Well maybe some pens, but I don't own the Magica Quartet in any form and never will.

She woke up. Tomoe Mami opened her eyes, blinked twice, and looked about her. She sat herself up and gave her surroundings a more thorough look around. She was in the midst of a great field. It wasn't a field of wheat or some other familiar plant, but a field of some mystery flower she had never before seen. They were tall plants who bore many white flowers, some in bloom and others still budding. The long white petals unnerved Mami some for whatever reason. She stood up and continued her survey. Above her was a ceiling of dark rock. A cave. The light wasn't natural. There were no lamps or candles or any such thing yet the fields were well lit. A Witch. It had to be. This was clearly a Barrier Mami reasoned.

How did she get there though? Mami thought on that. Well... She had been fighting a Witch. Madoka and Sayaka had been there watching...

Madoka and Sayaka.

Mami looked all about her once more as she called the names of her new friends. They were nowhere to be seen, but still she continued to call. There was no answer. Her voice didn't even echo. There was just Mami screaming away. Tears welled up in Mami's eyes and she fell to the ground. No. It couldn't be. She couldn't have let them die. She dug her hands into the earth. It was dry and weak. It broke apart easily as her fingers clawed at it. No. They weren't dead. They couldn't be. Mami stood up with a small sense of hope. They were alive. They just got separated. That was it. She took one step forward and her foot landed not on the dull ground, but a person.

A person?

A wave of joy overtook her as she looked down. It was Madoka. It had to be. Her hopes were dashed and her heart fell. It was just some unfamiliar girl about her age. She was small thing. Pale and tiny and weak looking. She was also alive. Somehow. That struck Mami as rather odd. It wasn't unheard of, but it was odd to see someone left alive but unconscious in a barrier. At least in Mami's experience.

Carrying this girl around just be a hassle and she couldn't very well leave the poor thing there all alone. What kind of hero would Mami be then and what was Mami if not a hero? Mami shook the girl as she forced her typical confident smile back on. Control. She had to appear to have control. It is what a hero did and maybe, just maybe, Mami could convince herself for once that she had control of everything. And that everything would be fine. The girl let out a small groan that was followed by a grumble. One eye opened. Then the other.

"'nee-san...I had a bad dream 'nee-san," she mumbled while rubbing her eyes. She pushed herself upwards and looked Mami in confusion. That face...Mami had never seen it before to her recollection and yet something seemed eerily familiar about it. Maybe this girl was one of her classmates? She didn't know them terribly well after all...

"Ah...You're not 'nee-san," the girl said with a look of disappointment.

This girl seemed oddly calm about all this. That wasn't too odd Mami supposed. Some people just took a while before the madness of such things to sink in and break them. Her fake smile still shining as always Mami said, "No I'm not. This all may seem very odd and frightening, but I'm going to get you out of here safe and sound. I promise you." Wow that was convincing sounding. Why she almost fooled herself with it! Almost.

"...where's 'nee-san? I can't remember what happened too well, Miss."

Oh dear... The Witch had probably already gotten to this girl's sister. That could prove to be an issue. At least one person ad tried to kill Mami in shock over a loved one's death. They had blamed Mami. Still Mami wasn't so heartless as to immediately label this girl a threat. She placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and a small bit of genuine concern broke through Mami's mask.

And then the girl said something very odd.

"Do you know Kyubey-kun is, Miss? He likes to hang around 'nee-san, Miss. He might know where she is..."

Kyubey-kun? That Kyubey? The adorable little cat weasel that saved Mami's life? The one who granted wishes and made girls humanity's sole defense against the Witches? In her shock Mami blurted out, "You're a Magical Girl?"

The girl noddd and answered, "Mmm...I've never met another one though, Miss. So you don't know where Kyubey is, Miss?"

Mami shook her head no. She was overcome by surprise and couldn't find her voice.

"We should probably get moving, Miss," the girl said as she stood up. She transformed, looked down at Mami, and said, "Let's get out of here, yeah?"

Mami stood up and examined her new found temporary partner. She looked oddly like a nurse when in her Magical Girl get up. Nurse. That seemed familiar for some reason... Wait. The hospital. The Witch had been in a hospital and their Barrier had had a hospital theme. Partly. The rest, as far as Mami could remember, was dessert based chaos.

"Do you remember what happened...?" Mami asked as she tried in vain to grasp at the small dream like puffs of memory. There had been a Witch. In the hospital. And pain in her neck. What happened?

"Not really, Miss. 'nee-san and I had been talking last I remember. At least I think so, Miss," the girl answered. She wore a pained look on her face. It was always distressing to not remember what one had been doing. Mami could understand that.

And then another unexpected something was said.

"You look familiar, Miss."

"I do?" was all Mami could say in response. The girl nodded yes. "Are you in Mitakihara Junior High Class 3-C?" Mami asked. The girl nodded no. There went that theory... They had probably met in the Witch's Barrier before they passed out. That made sense. ...but why was the Barrier so radically different?

"Let's get going, Miss. Name's Ayame Katsuragi."

"Tomoe Mami."

That small exchange made the two began on their way. They looked cautiously about themselves, but all that could be seen were more of those flowers. Just flowers. Everywhere as far the eye could see were flowers. Flowers, flowers, flowers, and then some more flowers. The Witch wasn't showing her face and there weren't even any Familiars bothering them. No victims. No other Magical Girls. Just Mami, Katsuragi, and a never ending field of flowers.

"Tomoe-san?"

"Yes?"

"Do you remember what happened at all?"

"Not really no. I was at the hospital. There was a Witch. Her Barrier looked absolutely nothing like this though. Maybe..."

"'nee-san and I were at a hospital, Tomoe-san. I was visiting her. That seems like a long time ago though, Tomoe-san..."

This girl spoke oddly. The ever present uttering of Tomoe-san was comforting to Mami though. She was still Tomoe Mami and she wasn't alone.

"We got in a fight. I yelled at 'nee-san, Tomoe-san. There wasn't a Witch though, Tomoe-san."

Parts of their stories were matching up. Maybe. The girl had been visiting her sick sister before the Witch had extended her Barrier. It had attacked these two and left Katsuragi alive for whatever reason. Then Mami came along and she had been attacked knocked unconscious near Katsuragi. That still didn't explain the huge difference regarding the Barrier as Mami saw it and as she remembered it.

Katsuragi pulled Mami from her thoughts with a question. "Hey...what sort of weapon d'ya use, Tomoe-san? Against the Witches, you know, Tomoe-san..."

"Guns. Mostly muskets," Mami answered simply.

There was a small silence. Katsuragi then said, "Ah... really, Tomoe-san?"

There was something about how she said that. Almost like she had hoped that Mami didn't use guns. Maybe her sister had been shot? That didn't explain why she thought to ask that though... Mami answered again as she thought it over, "I do. What about you?"

"Sickle and chain, Tomoe-san."

"Really? Interesting..." Mami had nothing else to say in response.

"Mmyep, Tomoe-san."

After that silence came about them. It felt awkward and restricting. Mami couldn't stand it, but she couldn't think of anything to say. She his this discomfort beneath her smile though. She had to or she'd risk breaking.

The two walked on and on, but there was no end to these flowers. As they walked along Mami tried once more to piece together what had happened. She had two friends with her. Were they friends though? They must have been. The pink haired one...what was her name...Mami couldn't recall. A sense of dread crept into her heart at that. Still she walked on wearing that same smile.

The silence was broken by a loud shriek from Katsuragi. The girl was pulled from her feet and was being dragged away by small shadowy beings. So the Familiars have finally showed their ugly faces... Mami summoned forth a small host of muskets, took aim, and fired. Each shot of light penetrated the creatures. The few survivors were sent running. Katsuragi was safe. She was crying though. Mami sent her guns back to the abyss and ran to the girl's side. They were the things that attacked Katsuragi and her sister! Mami was certain this was the truth! Once again though little Katsuragi surprised Mami.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Tomoe-san. Real sorry, Tomoe-san. I didn't mean to, Tomoe-san..."

Mami dropped to her knees and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders. She tried to calm Katsuragi down by saying, "I'm fine, see?"

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Tomoe-san."

"But you didn't. Nothing did. I'm fine."

Katsuragi was busily trying to rub the tears from her face, but more came in their place. She couldn't stop.

"No I did hurt you, Tomoe-san! I don't know how, but I did. You tried to stop me with those guns, Tomoe-san, but it didn't work!"

What she was saying made no sense to Mami. When had Katsuragi tried to hurt her? And why couldn't she remember it?

"Another girl stopped me, but I hurt you, Tomoe-san. The long haired girl wasn't fast enough."

"...Homura-san?"

Something was coming back to Mami and she was certain that she didn't like it...

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Tomoe-san".

Mami had tried to keep Homura from sticking her nose in their business. She had talked to the pink haired girl. Madoka. Mami had been happy then. She wasn't going to be alone anymore. There was a Witch. She had beat it. At least she thought she had. It snuck up on her and tried to eat her.

…maybe it had succeeded? If it did though wouldn't that mean she was dead?

"A...Ayame-san I don't know what you mean..."

"A Witch ate you. I did it. I'm sorry, Tomoe-san..."

"But you said a Witch..."

"I'm sorry, Tomoe-san!"

"You didn't..."

"So sorry, Tomoe-san!"

Katsuragi let out a miserable wail and her words became unintelligible. Mami shook the girl and tried to get something sensible out of her. Katsuragi did nothing but cry and mumble things that were likely more apologies.

She gave up. And then it made sense. A frightening amount of sense. Katsuragi had hurt her. A Witch had killed her. Katsuragi had turned into a Witch. Magical Girls were Witches.

No.

That couldn't be it.

Magical Girls weren't Witches. They fought Witches. Magical Girls couldn't become Witches. Witches didn't have feelings. They were just monsters who killed people for no reason. That's why there were Magical Girls. To fight that senseless evil.

"I'm sorry, Tomoe-san...I didn't know...I didn't mean to...Kyubey lied, Tomoe-san..."

There it was. The confirmation Mami didn't want to hear. She roughly pushed Katsuragi from her and looked at the girl with mixed fear and hate. That girl killed her and she had been a Witch. Which meant Mami would become a Witch. No wait. She was dead. Maybe she couldn't. She was dead and Katsuragi had killed her and everything she fought for was a lie.

Mami summoned forth a musket. She would kill Katsuragi. Even if the girl was sincerely sorry she would kill her. It couldn't happen again then. Katsuragi couldn't become a Witch again. Even if she never did Mami would be doing her a kindness. She fired at the girl's head. The bullet passed through her head. Nothing. There was no wound. No blood. Just Katsuragi screaming in fear and trying to run away only to trip and fall on her ugly little face. So Mami fired once more. Twice more. Three time. Four. Five. She fired over and over until she felt satisfied. Katsuragi should have been a bullet riddled corpse, but there wasn't so much as a scratch on her.

"Why...why won't you die?" Mami yelled as she tossed her gun to the ground. In her madness she rushed forward towards Katsuragi who was trying to scramble away. No. You won't get away. Mami pounced on the girl and forced her to the floor. She wrapped her hands around Katsuragi's throat and squeezed as tightly as she could. You will die. You deserve it. More than anything. So just die already...please...

It wasn't working though. Katsuragi continued to struggle as hard as ever. She showed no signs of tiring. She wasn't going to die and neither was Mami. They couldn't. They were both dead after all. Katsuragi had killed Mami and then Homura had killed Katsuragi. And now they were stuck together. Mami loosened her grip on Katsuragi's neck and let her hands fall to the floor.

Katsuragi coughed some. She took a long breath in and she started to cry again. After a moment she found the strength to speak, "I'm dead too, Tomoe-san. That long haired girl killed me, Tomoe-san..."

There it was. Confirmation from the girl's very mouth. Joy.

"I'm sorry, Tomoe-san..."

"Don't call me that."

"But..."

"I said don't!"

Mami looked down. All she could see was Katsuragi. That horrible girl. She killed Mami and thought she had a right to call her by her name? Mami wanted to strangle her again. It wouldn't do any good, but at least it would make her feel a tiny bit better. She resisted and instead started to cry still straddling Katsuragi's hips.

She hated Katsuragi. She really did. She couldn't though. Katsuragi was a person. Katsuragi was nice. Katsuragi was crying. She was sorry. But Mami wanted to bash her skull in. She also wanted to hold the girl tightly against herself. Nothing made sense anymore. So Mami did nothing. She just sat on top of Katsuragi and cried.

After some time Katsuragi spoke up.

"Um...Miss..."

"I don't care."

"What?"

"Just call me whatever you want. I don't care."

"...a-all right, Tomoe-san."

But Mami did care. She wanted to fire rounds into Katsuragi's skull point blanc and then beat the girl with the gun until her arm grew tired. She also wanted to hear nothing but her name. It meant she still existed even if she was dead. It meant someone cared even if they had no reason to. Mami climbed off Katsuragi and looked out into the fields. "Let's go."

"Where, Tomoe-san?"

"I don't care. Let's just go. I need to walk."

Mami was surprised at herself. She could still speak while feeling like this. Her mask was shot to hell though. There was no point in trying to wear it anymore. None whatsoever. She climbed to her feet. But could she walk like this? She took one step forward and then another followed by yet another. Yes. She could walk and so she did. After a few steps she heard a call of, "Wait for me, Tomoe-san!" followed by hurried footsteps. She kept walking, not slowing her pace one bit. Katsuragi caught up and apologized once more. She kept walking, not slowing her pace one bit. Katsuragi asked a question.

"Do you hate me, Tomoe-san?"

She stopped, thought for a moment and then answered, "Yes." She started walking again. Katsuragi wasn't following. As she continued to walk she added in, "And no.". Still Katsuragi did not follow. Mami kept walking. Soon enough Katsuragi started to hurry after her.

The next good strech of completely pointless travel took place in total silence. Mami had stopped looking around. It looked the same no matter where they were or how far they walked. There was no point to look at any of it. Whether or not Katsuragi had also stopped looking about Mami did not know. She had not looked at the girl since they had started walking again. A small craving tugged at Mami, though. She tried to ignore it, but it continued to claw at her. She wanted to talk and she gave in.

"Ayame-san?"

"Eh?"

Her voice sounded surprised. And craving was stronger now. There was no going back now.

"How old are you?"

"...what?"

"How old are you?"

It was a stupid question. A pointless question. It meant they were talking though and that is what Mami cared about. Katsuragi remained quiet. Perhaps she was very surprised at this. That would make sense. After all Mami had just tried to murder her.

"Um...I'm having trouble rememberin, but I'm pretty sure I'm thirteen, Tomoe-san."

A wave of joy hit Mami when she heard that. She giggled. Katsuragi was a ditzy thing apparently. It also served as a reminder. They were the same. They were both humans and they both aged. Mami could have become a Witch. Loathing. She buried that feeling though by talking.

"Really? That makes me the oldest then."

"You're fourteen, Tomoe-san?"

"Mmm."

"Wow...so you're a year older, huh...When's your birthday, Tomoe-san?"

It was a simple question. Katsuragi likely wanted to know if Mami really was a year older. She stareted to answer, "I was born on...on... Hmm. April...no that's not right."

Mami thought it over. When was her birthday? She could remember a birthday she had. She made herself a cake and a pot of tea. Her parents had just died. She spent that night in tears and she threw up. It had tasted like cake. Sour cake. That taste was horrible. But when did that happen?

"Eh? You can't remember, Tomoe-san? You're such a dork, Tomoe-san!"

"At least I don't forget my age like you!" Mami snapped back as she continued to search for the answer. It was no use. She couldn't even remember the month let alone the whole date.

"It's all right, Tomoe-san. I can never remember mine either!"

"No! I can. Usually... Oh why can't I remember! Darn it..."

Katsuragi giggled. Mami's cheeks felt warms.

"Your ears turn red when you blush, Tomoe-san!"

"What?"

And it was worse. Mami blushed furiously and Katsuragi continued to tease her. Katsuragi poked Mami's arm and Mami playfully pushed her away. Katsuragi laughed and it infected Mami. She too laughed cheerfully. Despite all this there remained a small worry. Why couldn't Mami remember her birthday? Despite all this there remained a small bitterness. Why was her killer talking with her like they were friends?

Their laughter came to an end and they continued their walking. They talked along the way and for the most part it was happy idle chatter. Mami snapped at Katsuragi twice for little reason and once raised her hand as though to hit her. Thankfully she hadn't actually lashed out and hurt the other girl and thankfully Mami was becoming convinced that Katsuragi was the most amazing person in the world. Even better than that other girl. Whoever she was. Her hair was pink or something.

It seemed that no matter how far they walked they never grew tired. At least Mami didn't. She just assumed Katsuragi felt the same. It was likely since they were both dead. Despite this lack of tiredness the girls stopped and lay down among the flowers. Mami stared up at the ceiling. It was so dark and yet there was so much light in this cave... Katsuragi sprawled out on the floor next to her. A look in her direction revealed that she was laying on her stomach.

"Ayame-san?"

"Yeah, Tomoe-san?"

"Why were you and your sister fighting?"

"'nee-san and I were fighting, Tomoe-san? Oh... Yeah... 'nee0san was dying. She was sick. I told her to wish herself better. She didn't want to though so I yelled at her. She said it would be better that way. I asked if she thought it would have been better if I had just died and not become a Magical Girl 'nee-san said she thought it would."

"Ah..."

"We had been mad at each other for a while. She hated Kyubey-kun. I think. I can't remember it well at all, Tomoe-san. I can't remember if she did and I can't remember why she did. I feel that way though, Tomoe-san."

"And you became a Witch?"

"I dunno. I guess so. I can't remember what I did. I was one sometime though, Tomoe-san. And I killed you. Lots of other people too. At least I think I did."

"...ah. I...see."

Mami wasn't sure how to respond. Katsuragi flopped over onto her back. She tore at the stem of one of those horrible plants that were everywhere.

"Do you still hate me?"

Mami had hoped she wouldn't ask that. She'd rather not think about just how much she wanted to kill Katsuragi. She answered regardless," Yes and no."

"Ah... I figured that, Tomoe-san..."

"Mami. You can call me, Mami."

"R-really Tomoe-san?"

"Mmm."

"Mami-san...Well you can call me Katsuragi!"

" All right, Katsuragi-san."

What had come over her? Why did she say that? Why did she hate herself for saying that? The one thing she was certain of is that she liked how the name Katsuragi felt in her mouth. Mami closed her eyes. She felt something touch against her hand. Mami's eyes shot open and she turned her heard to see Katsuragi's hand over her own. No one had held her hand in years. No actually... Had anyone ever done that? She couldn't recall. That seemed unimportant though. Her face redder than it had ever been Mami turned on her side, scooted closer to Katsuragi, and pulled the girl into an awkward embrace. She closed her eyes and grasped at Katsuragi's side. The other girl returned the hug.

It'd be so easy now...I could kill her right now. She wouldn't see it coming.

No. That was bad.

She wasn't alone anymore. She never would be. She was dead and this girl had killed her, but at least she wasn't alone anymore. Why had she been alone before? She couldn't recall. It was unimportant.

Her neck is right there. I could beat her with a gun if I wanted.

No. That desire was also unimportant.

As they lay there together Mami's life gradually grew hazier and hazier. It all felt like some far off dream. One that she no longer cared about.

They would have continued lazing about in one another's arms but one of those shadowy things had appeared again. Mami swung at the being's face and hopped to her feet. A row of guns materialized and were fired at the creatures. Katsuragi too got up and deal with her own share of the horrible things. Her sickle didn't need her hand to guide it. It could move on its own much like Mami's guns.

The creatures were dispelled once more and the two broke into a run. Those things would be back and they'd likely be greater in number when they did return. Might as well try to shake them off. They didn't talk and they didn't tire. They just ran. Finally they slowed their pace and walked from there on out. Once more there was a silence between them. Katsuragi broke the silence after a long while had passed.

"Hey what's your name, Miss?"

Mami's heart fell. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Katsuragi. She had forgot her name. Maybe Mami would forget Katsuragi's too. And Katsuragi herself... No. That couldn't happen. Mami was annoyed. Katsuragi was being stupid again. She tried to answer the question. She felt confident that she could,

"It's...It's. It is...Hum...Well it's..."

It wasn't coming to her. What was her name? She stared at her friend with tears in her eyes. She was losing herself and her...her...Oh no. She couldn't remember the girl's name either.

"I don't remember."

"Really, Miss? Hmm...I can't remember my name either. I remember you though, Miss. Mostly. Sort of. But not your name, Miss."

Mami started to walk again. She had to or she would go succumb to the horror of this all. And then there would be no telling what she would do to her friend. Probably something bad. She wanted to do something bad to the girl. A comforting hand grabbed her own. She felt ground again. Just a bit. This was her friend whom she loved more than anything else and she was still her for her.

"Hey. When we get out of here let's go out to eat, Miss."

That was impossible. They wouldn't make it out. She wanted to hope though and so she played along.

"But what though?"

"I dunno...Cake maybe, Miss? And cheese!"

"Cheesecake?"

She could only just remember what cheesecake was now.

"No just cheese. I really like cheese. I don't remember why, but I know I like it, Miss."

"Cake and cheese..."

Something came to her mind. She spoke her thoughts.

"And tea. We will need tea."

"That stuff made from beans, Miss?"

"No that's something else. Coffee I think."

"Oh. Right."

Her friend didn't sound very confident. The girl had forgotten what tea was. She wouldn't though. Not just yet.

"So yes. Tea. We will need to have that with some cake and cheese."

"So it's a date, Miss?"

Her face warmed up at that and she didn't know why. What was a date and why did she want to have one? She agreed anyway.

"Yes. Yes it is."

Her friend giggled.

"Ok then, Miss!"

She smiled and gripped the girl's hand tighet. They still had each other and they still had themselves. But for how long? She was hit again by dread. No. She couldn't lose herself and this girl. Just couldn't.

"Hey, Miss?"

"...yes?"

"Do you still hate me?"

"No."

She paushed for a moment. Why did she want to kill this girl? Why did looking at her fill her with rage?

"And yes."

"Ok, Miss."

After that had been said the pair walked on without speaking a word. She didn't have anything to say. She couldn't think of anything to say and she was starting to lose a sense of why she should care. Why was this talking thing important? Oh well. Her friend must feel the same she thought. The other girl was just as quiet after all. Those flowers were still here and they were still never ending. She didn't care though. Why should she? They were just there. They didn't hurt anything and they didn't make anyone smile, but why was that so bad? Who cares.

Their peaceful walk was interrupted though by the shadow beings. They engulfed her friend, swallowing her up with their own bodies. They didn't need a stable form. They changed about as they saw fit. And now they were pulling the other girl from her grasp. She held on for dear life, but another of the creatures had grabbed her leg and pulled her to the floor. She fell and was fragged away from the one thing she loved.

No.

It wouldn't end like this. She wouldn't it. She couldn't. Katsuragi meant the world to her even if she had been killed by the girl. It came back to her. Not everything, but it came back. With the feeling came memory and vice verse. With those two came a reason to fight. She had one again. A gun materialized and she fired it at the shadow creature that was holding her down. Once free she burst to her feet and charged off in a heavy run. I love you, Katsuragi. I hate you more than anything else, but I love you.

This event had awoken Katsuragi as well. Mami could see the girl's sickle cutting through the beasts. More came and they crashed on top of Katsuragi like some twisted wave.

Waves? The beach. They should go to the beach together. Mami wanted to spend time with Katsuragi at the beach.

Mami stopped her running. Walls upon walls of muskets came into being behind her. They aimed their sights at the huge mass of black.

"My name is Tomoe Mami. I am a Magical Girl and I will not let you take Ayame Katsuragi from me!"

Calling out those words filled her with much needed strength. She knew who she was and why she had to fight. Tomoe Mami fired her host of guns at the shadow beings. Bullets of light sliced their way through the creatures combined form and they were scattered. Katsuragi fell to the floor. Sending her guns away Mami ran to her. She picked the girl up and squeezed her tightly.

"I love you Katsuragi."

Mami's hug was returned and a small voice said

"I love you too, Mami."

Mami pushed Katsuragi away from her briefly. Lightly this time. She pressed her lips against the other girl's. That was a kiss right? That's what people in love did right? It was a short kiss, but it was returned in full by Katsuragi. They had to get moving. Once more on their feet the pair ran off. Katsuragi kept her sickle in hand. Mami had a quartet of muskets surrounding them. More of the shadow creatures came. They came from the sliging across it like a sickly flood. They came from the ceiling dripping down to the ground like a trail of mucus. They were coming from everywhere and soon Mami and Katsuragi were surrounded.

Try as they might they could not send the beasts running. Many more filled the places of the fallen. There was no end in sight. Mami couldn't see anything beyond them. A writhing wall of black loomed all around her. And then one of the beasts grabbed her. Mami was pulled to the floor again. Hundreds of the creatures swarmed on top of her. It was suffocating. She couldn't get them off. She couldn't kill them fast enough. Katsuragi tried to help. She screamed something that Mami couldn't make out. Nothing worked and then a slew of them grabbed Katsuragi. Her screaming, flailing form was dragged away and Mami couldn't do a thing to stop it. Katsuragi's cries grew more and more distant until at last they were gone. The shadow beings slid off Mami and began to seep into the ground. She fired at them. It didn't do a thing. They just disappeared and left her alone. She was left with nothing. Just herself and an endless field of flowers. She thrashed at the ground. She pulled flowers from their roots. She tore the plants to shreds. She cried. She screamed. None of it brought Katsuragi back and none of it would.

Mami was a broken girl. She had been cracking for a good long while, but she was finally pushed past the point of no return. She had no one to bring her back. No one to anchor her. No. Her sanity was gone and that was that. The rest of her followed and her loud howling finally stopped. She got to her feet and started to walk on in silence. Nothing mattered anymore. There was nothing anymore. The girl named Tomoe Mami was just an empty shell and she would wander through an endless field forever. One could call that happiness, no?

* * *

><p><p>

All right then...so this is done. I'll be posting a small summary of the Charlotte character's life as I had thought it up for the curious. There's thoughts that Oriko from the prequel comic that was announced a while back might be Charlotte, but we have no confirmation regarding that so she's Ayame Katsuragi for now. Again feedback is appreciated and thank you for reading this.


	2. Chapter 2

Ok then...Here is the story of Charlotte or Ayame Katsuragi as she is known in this fic. Obviously the Ayame character is not canon and is of my own creation. She might actually be Oriko but again...no confirmation yet and there won't be for a long while. So...Ayame Katsuragi!

Ayame Katsuragi was born to a relatively well to do, but illness prone family. The Ayame family has diabetes in particular running through it and most of the members suffer from it. Katsuragi and her unnamed sister are two in the family who do not have diabetes. In fact other than their being rather weak physically the two sisters seemed to be fine and healthy. Seemed to be. As it turns out Katsuragi and her sister had developed cancer. Katsuragi's condition worsened much faster than her sister. Using their money and influence Katsuragi was being sent through Chemotherapy. She couldn't leave the hospital and her family's visits were short. Her sister would bring sweets for Katsuragi on those visits and the two would chat happily together for a short time.

What she really wanted though was cheese. She couldn't have cheese. It was specifically forbidden for her to eat. If she could have cheese she would be free from her illness. Free to do what she liked. But it wasn't getting better. It was getting worse. But that is when Kyubey appeared before her and offered Katsuragi a wish. Any wish at all. Katsuragi wished to be free of her cancer. This wish was granted and Katsuragi became a Magical Girl. Her sudden recovery shocked her doctors, but she was soon let out. Her hair even grew back.

For a time Katsuragi's life was happy again. She would fight a Witch every now and then to protect someone and she would use Grief Seeds to drain the taint from her Soul Gem. Her sister was getting worse though and Kyubey had begun to try and get a contract from her. Katsuragi was beginning to grow stressed from all this. One of the humans had died when she tried to save him and her sister was actively refusing any chance to get better. No. She just baked cakes and smiled like she always did. Except when the two fought.

Katsuragi's sister was eventually sent to the hospital for Chemotherapy. Kyubey's efforts to recruit the girl were growing more persistent and it was becoming clear that something was wrong with this whole situation. Katsuragi couldn't figure out quite what, but something just felt terribly wrong about it all. She was more angry at her sister's steadfast refusal to accept a chance at getting help though. Katsuragi continued to spiral downward and her grief finally got the best of her when her sister told her that it would have been better for everyone involved if Katsuragi had refused the contract and died a slow, painful death at the hands of her former disease. Katsuragi's Soul Gem now fully corrupted turn into a Grief Seed and Katsuragi became the Witch known as Charlotte. Charlotte would kill her former sister, a few of the medical staff, and two other patients before roaming around on her own. She would return to the hospital sometime later where she would be confronted by Mami, Madoka, and Sayaka. Mami would be eaten by Charlotte after having thought that she won. Homura would then rush to the scene, destroy Charlotte, and claim the girl's Grief Seed as her own. This Grief Seed would later be destroyed.

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Most of this is apparent from the fic itself (or at least I pray it is), but I felt that I wanted to share what little I had thought up for Charlotte in a more compact and direct form.


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